Thematic network

The museum as an asset for individual and community health and well-being

Guillem D'Efak, addresses the role of museums as assets for health and individual and community well-being. He argues that the arts possess a “superpower” or “magic” that generates emotions and connections, being fundamental for human survival and evolution, not a luxury. D'Efak promotes a conception of health based on the WHO biopsychosocial model (physical, psychic and social), pointing out that most diseases have a social origin and require social solutions. In this sense, he identifies museums, schools and libraries as “community health assets”. He distinguishes between “arts and health” (intrinsic benefits) and “arts in health” (interventions with specific health objectives). For the latter, he emphasizes the need for co-creation with health professionals, user participation and rigorous evaluation to generate evidence, as demonstrated in a MNAC program with children with cancer that revealed unexpected benefits for parents. It concludes that the methodological use of the arts can enhance its impact, especially in terms of equity, by reaching people who would not access the museum through other means.

The museum as an asset for individual and community health and well-being

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